Jackson's Career High Four Goals Leads Women's Soccer to 4-1 Win at Belmont Abbey; Host Playoff Match Monday at 2pm

BELMONT, N.C. – Pfeiffer University’s Aaliyah Jackson put home a career high four goals during a 4-1 victory over Belmont Abbey in the 2012 Conference Carolinas women’s soccer regular season finale on Saturday afternoon. The Lady Falcons move to 9-6-2 overall, 7-2-2 in Conference Carolinas, and will host a first round playoff game on Monday afternoon in the tournament’s opening match as either the #3 or #4 seed. The Abbey slips to 9-9-0 overall and 8-3-0 in league play.

Belmont Abbey jumped ahead early, as sophomore forward Simone Melvin scored just 5:17 into the match as she corralled a loose ball in the Pfeiffer box, turned and fired a low, left footed shot past Britt Polly for the strike.

The Crusaders held onto their lead until the 29th minute when Jackson scored the first of her four goals, as she beat two defenders down the right side and lifted a high, arcing shot over the head of Megan Bowen that deadlocked the contest at one.

Three minutes later, Jackson struck again, as she gathered the ball at midfield and weaved through three Crusader defenders down the left side, dribbled towards the middle and was left with a one-on-one with Bowen, whom she beat with a low shot to give the Falcons the lead for good.

Pfeiffer maintained its lead through the end of the first half and Jackson scored again just six minutes into the final period, when she scored from an unmarked position from the goal mouth, which Hannah Kohls got a hand on but could not control as it deflected into the net.

20 minutes later she closed the scoring as she put away a Brittany Papaj cross, tapping the ball from five yards out for the goal.

Pfeiffer outshot the Abbey 11-8 and held a 4-2 edge in corner kicks. Polly stopped a pair of shots, while Bowen did not make a save as she played just the first half. Kohls made three saves in the second half.